Current-collecting device



Mar. 13, 1923.

C. BETHEL ET AL CURRENT COLLECTNG DEVICE Filed July 5, 1922 2 sheets-sheet l WITNESSES: @935% Mar. 13, 1923 C. BETHEL ET AL CURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE Filed July 5 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE BETHEL, OF WILKINSBURG, AND THOMAS S. SCOTT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COM- PAINY,` A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CURRENT-COLLECTING DEVICE.

Application led July 5, 1922. Serial No. 572,860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CLAUDE BETHEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l/Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and THOMAS S. Scor'r, a citizen ot the United States, and a` resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inV Current-Collecting Devices, of which the following is a speci- .fication Our invention relates to current-collecting devices and it has particular relation to brush holders for elect-ric railway motors, and the like.

One 0f the objects of our invention is to provide a brush holder, of the character described, which embodies a brush boX that is disposed in alinement with a brush pressure device, the box being slidably mounted upon the brush holder in order that it may be quickly and easily withdrawn from between the brush pressure device and the commutator cylinder for convenient access thereto.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device, of the character described, in which a very efficient and compact mechanism is provided for yieldably maintainingr the brush box in. operative position wi t-h respect to the brush pressure device and a rotating contact member, such as a commutator cylinder or a. collector ring, during normal operating periods of the machine.

A further object of our .invention is to provide a current-collecting device of the character set forth, which comprises relatively few parts,l is simple and efficient in operation and is of very rugged and substantial construction being adapted yto withstand the severe operating conditions incidental to electric railway service.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view o a portion of a rocker ring A'of a dynamo-electric machine that is provided with apluralityy of brush holders constructed in accordance with our invention, one of the brush holdersbeing illustrated in side elevation and a portion of another being illustrated in vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the rocker ring taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1 and illustrating one of the brush holders in front elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through one of the brush holders and taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, a portion of a dynamo-electric machine is illustrated as comprising, in general, a rocker ring l, which supports a plurality of brush holders 2 and brush members 3 that are carried thereby for cooperation with a commutator cylinder 4.

The rocker ring 1 preferably comprises a centrally disposed annular member 5 and a plurality of outer reinforcing ring portions 6, of slightly less diameter, which are secured thereto at intervals and in spaced relaytion therewith, by means of arms or web portions 7, which are preferably formed integral with the member 5 and the rings 6. The periphery of the member 5 is provided with gear teeth 8 by means of which the ring 1 and the current collecting devices supported thereby may be shifted circum ferentially, by any suitable mechanism (not shown), in order to adjust the brush members 3 wit-h respect to the axis of commu tation of the machine. The arms 7 are provided with lugs or bosses 9 to which brushholder-supporting studs 10 are suitably secured.

Each ot' the brush holders 2 comprises a bracket portion "l1, which is adapted to be secured to the studs 1() by means of a transversely extending ,clamping bar 12 and bolts 13. The forward side of the bracket portion 11 of the brush holder is provided with a transversely extending pipe or manifold 14, which is provided with a plurality .of tubular projections or cylinders 15 that extend in the direction of the commutating cylinder 4. Apiston or plunger 16 is provided in each of the cylinders 15 for engagement with the brush members 3, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Each of the cylinders 15 is in communication with the pipe 14, which functions as a header member therefor, and which is provided with a rearwardly extending tubular projection or nipple 17. The projection 17 is permanentlysecured to the bracket 'll of the brush holder in any preferred manner, and telescopically engages the extremity of a flexible pipe or conduit i8; @ne extremity of the pipe 18 is secured to the bracket portion il of the brush holder by a union or coupling member i9, while the other extremity thereof is secured to a fluid pressure supply pipe 20 in any preferred manner. The supply pipe 20 is preferably disposed concentrically to the rocker ring l and is secured thereto by means of transversely extending clamping bars 2i and bolts 22 (Fig. 2).

The bracket portion li of the brush holder embodies a flange or wall portion 23, which is provided with a channel or recess and With a. plurality of apertures 25 adj acent thereto.` fr plurality of brush boxes, indicated as a Whole at 26, are mounted upon the bracket member il and are each' provided with a rearwardly extending rod 27, which projects through one of the apertures 25 and into a substantially cylindrical housing 28 that is provided on the rear portion of the flange 2B. The rear Wall of each of the brush boxes 26 is also provided With a transversely extending rib or flange 29, which is adapted to register with and engage the channel or recess 2d to prevent the brush boxfrom turning about the axis of the .rod 217 during the operation of the machine. A spring 30 is mounted upon each of the rods 27, Within the housing 28, and is confined between vthe flange 23 and an adjusting nut 3l that is threaded upon the extremity of the rod 2T.

The forward side of each of the brush boxes 26 is preferably provided with a handle 32, by means of which the brush boxes may be separately and independently Withdrawn from between the iiuid pressure cylinders lol and the surface of the commutatorcylinder Li, and against the action of the springs 30, for the purpose of obtaining access to the brush members 3. During the normal operation of the machine, the springs 30 resiliently maintain the several brush boxes and the brush members 3 that are carried thereby, in operative position with respect to the brush pressure cylinders l5.

vwWhile We have illustrated and described our invention as being employed in connection with a fluid pressure device, it vvill be understood that it is not necessarily limited to such an application, as any suitable brush pressure mechanism', such as the usual brush spring structure, m-ay be employed `Without departing from the nature and spirit of our invention.

7e claim as our invention l. A current-collecting device comprising a supporting structure, a brush box inovably' carried thereby and adapted to support a brush member for co-operation With a rotating Contact member, a pressure device Messrs vcarried by said supporting' structure and adapted to yieldably maintain said brush member in engagement with said rotating Contact member, and means 'for rcsiliently retaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device.

Si current-collecting device comprising a supporting structure, a brush box inovably 4carried thereby and adapted to support a brush member for kco-operationwith a rotating contact member, a pressure device carried by said supporting structure and adapted to yieldably maintain said brush member in engagement with said rotating contact member, and a spring member for retaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device.

1l. A current-collecting device comprising a supporting structure, a brush pressure device carried thereby, a brush box slidably mounted upon said supporting structure and in alinement with said pressure device, and means for removably maintaining said brush box in opera-tive position With respect to said pressure device.

A current-collecting device comprising supporting structure, a brush pressure device carried thereby, a brush box slidably mounted upon said supporting structure and n alinement with said pressure device, and means for resiliently maintaining said brush box in operative position with respect` to said pressure device.

6. ri current-collecting device comprising a supporting structure having an aperture therein, a pressure device carried thereby, a brush box disposed in alinement with said pressure device and provided With an extension adapted to 'project through said aperture, and a spring carried by said extension for engagement with said supporting structure for maintaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device and adapted to permit of the Withdrawal of said brush box fromalinement with said pressure device.

7 A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member, a brush pressure device carried thereby, and a brush box mounted upon said bracket member for movement into and out of operative position with respect to said pressure device.

8. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member, a brush premere device carried thereby and a brush box mounted upon said bracket member for movement to- Ward and away from said bracket member.

9. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided With a housing, a. brush pressure device carried by said bracket member, a brush box slidably mounted on said bracket member for relative movement with respect thereto. said brush box being provided with a rod adapted to project into said housing, and a spring carried by said rod and disposed Within said housing for resiliently maintaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device,

10. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided With a substantially tubular portion, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket member, a brush box slidably mounted upon said bracket member for relative movement with respect thereto, said brush box being provided with a rod adapted to project vinto said tubular portion. and a spring carried by said rod and disposed Within said tubufar portion to resiiiently maintain said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device.

11. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided With an aperture, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket, a brush box provided With a rod adapted to slidably engage said aperture, a spring carried by said rod and adapted to resiiiently maintain said brush box in operative position With respect to said pressure device, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

12. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided with an aperture, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket, a brush box provided with a rod adapted to slidably engage said aperture, a spring carried by said rod and adapted to resiliently maintain said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device, and means for preventing the rotation of said brush box about the axis of said rod when in operative position.

13. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided with an aperture extending therethrough and with a channel in one face thereof, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket member, a brush box provided with a rod adapted to slidably engage said aperture, a spring carried by said rod for resiliently maintaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device, and a rib provided on one face of said brush box and adapted to engage said channel to prevent the movement of said brush box about the axis of said rod.

14. A current-collecting device comprising a bracket member provided with an aperture extending therethrough and having a. recess in one face thereof, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket member, a brush box provided with a rod adapted to slidably engage said aperture, a spring carried by said rod for resiliently maintaining said brush box in operative position with respect to said pressure device, and a projection provided on one face of said brush box and adapted to engage said channel to prevent the movement of said brush about the axis of said rod.

15. A current-collecting device com rising a bracket member provided with a c anne1 portion, a brush pressure device carried by said bracket member, and a brush box slidably mounted upon said bracket member for movement into and out of operative position with respect to said pressure device, and provided With a rib portion adapted to engage said channel to prevent the turning movement thereof with respect to said pressure device.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 23rd day of June, 1922.

CLAUDE BETHEL. THOMAS S. SCOTT. 

